Updated Date:
Author: BazBus Editorial Team
Quick Summary: In most countries the hop-on hop-off concept is associated almost entirely with young backpackers. BazBus is unusual in that it never worked out that way here. The average age on board is 25 to 35, over 30% of our passengers travel as couples, and we regularly carry families with small children and travelers in their seventies and eighties — sometimes on the same 16-seat bus. This article sets out who actually rides, why the mix works, and how to tell whether it suits you.
No. And the longer answer is more interesting than the short one, because the assumption that a backpacker network is for twenty-year-olds is the single most common reason travelers rule us out and then book something more expensive and less enjoyable instead.
The average age of passengers on our buses is between 25 and 35. The spread runs a long way past both ends of that. Our oldest passengers have been in their eighties. Our youngest have been toddlers in their own seat. The thing that connects them is not age — it is a preference for travelling independently without wanting to organise every leg of it themselves.
As we put it on board: travel independently, but never alone.
This surprises people. More than 30% of BazBus passengers travel as couples, which makes couples the largest single category after solo travelers.
The appeal is practical. Travelling South Africa as a pair usually means packing luggage into taxis, trying to book seats together on intercity coaches, and then deciding every evening which of you is driving in the morning. A pass removes all three problems at once. It also means neither of you has to think about a glass of wine at dinner in Stellenbosch, which is not a small consideration in a region built on wine.
“We are in our 30s and wanted some chill out time after a big family wedding, try some wines, see the sights, meet people, and not worry about who would drive and where each day!!! I looked at every option for months…after checking Bazbus reviews we eventually were convinced to book the 14 day travel pass..and we added a Kruger Park safari package too. Thank you Matt and the office team, we had the best 3 weeks we could have imagined.” — Lisa-Jane, Canada.
Solo travel is where we see the most growth, and solo female travelers are a large and growing part of it. The reasons are structural rather than sentimental: GPS tracking on every vehicle, direct hostel and hotel pickup, experienced drivers who act as a local point of contact, and a bus full of people heading the same way.
Independent research finds that around seven in ten solo female travelers cite personal safety as a leading concern, a figure that has barely moved in years. What has changed is that the concern now shapes how people book rather than whether they go — door-to-door transport and a named contact have become purchase criteria.
“I had the best time with the bazbus! You travel safely. The bus brings you from hostel to hostel. You meet a lot of nice people and you are never alone as a solo traveler. The bus drivers are all so lovely and good drivers ;P It’s super easy to book your seat for the bus and you can ask everything! They always help you.” — Lisavord, Luxemburg.
The social side is not incidental either. Travelers who start alone very often do not stay that way.
“The whole trip was smooth since day 1. The bus was spotless and on time. It was very convenient, safe and comfortable and so EASY to meet people on the bus. Ended up continuing my travel with 3 other girls who I met on the bus.” — Emily, New York.
We have carried passengers as old as 70 and 80, and the feedback from older travelers is consistently among the strongest we receive. The reasons they give are not the ones you might expect. It is rarely about budget. It is about not driving unfamiliar roads, having a South African on board who can explain what you are looking at, and being able to stay longer somewhere without renegotiating a rental contract.
“My wife and I were quite skeptical when we booked our journey/adventure that will take us from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. My wife is in her late 50s and I just turned 61. We had retired our backpacking/spartan travels about 8 years ago… It was absolutely one of the best adventures we have had in years! Highly Recommended….young or old!” — Edward, Canada.
“Back again in Germany from a fantastic journey in South Africa partly together with BAZBUS I would like to thank you. BAZBUS they helped me a lot with my travel arrangements. All my questions in advance were answered very quickly and precise. The bus travel from Cape Town all the way to Port Elizabeth were punctual and very satisfactory.” — Leonard, Berlin.
One thing worth saying plainly: hostels on the route are not dormitories-only. Most partner accommodation offers private rooms, many with ensuite bathrooms, and our drivers help passengers book accommodation that suits their budget and expectations. Older travelers who assume a backpacker network means a bunk bed are usually working from a picture that is about twenty years out of date.
Organising a family trip through another country normally means juggling bus tickets, taxis and luggage for four or five people. One pass replaces all of it, and the GPS tracking and direct hotel pickup tend to matter more to parents than to anyone else on board.
“Bazbus is a great way to explore South Africa. You can plan a trip quickly with the website… Another important thing is that we decided to do this trip with our two-year old daughter. She was absolutely fine. She had her seat and so was able to lay down and sleep well when she needed. Overall, I can say that, despite the majority of travellers are in their early twenties, Bazbus can be considered baby friendly.” — Sarah W, England.
The practical caveats for families are real though. Travel days can be long — the full westbound run is 7:00am to 9:20pm — so families almost always do better breaking the route into shorter legs and staying two nights at each stop. The middle of the route helps here: Wilderness to Sedgefield is 40 minutes, Sedgefield to Knysna another 40.
None of this means we have stopped being a backpacker network. Backpackers remain the core of the route, and the things that serve them — exclusive hostel discounts, free hop stops, total control over how long you stay anywhere, and a bus full of people from everywhere — are the same things that turn out to serve everyone else.
Balance requires saying this. A hop-on hop-off pass is a poor fit if:
The thing we did not design and would not have predicted is how well the age mix works in practice. Older passengers enjoy the energy of the younger ones. Younger passengers get stories and perspective they would never find in a hostel common room. Both groups get a South African driver telling them what life was and is like in the towns they are driving through.
South Africa recorded 10.5 million international tourists in 2025, a record, and the growth is not coming from one demographic. It is coming from everywhere at once — and the bus reflects that.
Is there an age limit, upper or lower?
No. Families, single travelers, couples and groups of friends of all ages travel with us, and our buses always carry a mix of backgrounds and age groups. Children travel in their own seat, and we have carried passengers well into their eighties. What matters more than age is mobility and stamina for the travel days, since the full route is a long day end to end if you choose to ride it that way. Breaking the journey into shorter legs with two nights at each stop removes that issue entirely, and is what most passengers of every age end up doing.
Will I be the oldest person on the bus?
Probably not, and even if you are on one particular leg, it changes constantly — passengers join and leave at every stop, so the composition of the bus is different by the afternoon. The average age is 25 to 35, which means half of our passengers are older than that. Reviews from travelers in their fifties, sixties and seventies are among the most enthusiastic we receive, and the recurring theme in them is surprise at how comfortable the mix turned out to be.
Do I have to stay in hostel dorms?
No. Partner accommodation along the route includes private rooms and private ensuite rooms as well as dorms, and your pass entitles you to exclusive discounted rates at each destination regardless of room type. Couples and older travelers overwhelmingly book private rooms and use hostel common areas for the social side. Our drivers help passengers book accommodation on board and know which places suit which budgets, which is more useful than any booking site filter.
Is it suitable for travelers with limited mobility?
It depends on the specifics, and we would rather have that conversation directly than give a blanket answer. Our vehicles are 16-seat buses rather than coaches with lifts, and some stops involve short walks at accommodation. Contact our customer service team, reachable 24 hours by email and phone, with your particular needs before booking — we can tell you honestly which parts of the route will work well and which will not.
Is it still worth it if I am not interested in the social side?
Yes, and plenty of our passengers are in exactly that position. The practical benefits stand on their own: door-to-door pickup that saves roughly ten taxi journeys across the route, no driving, no terminals, no parking, a local expert on board, and complete control over how long you stay anywhere. The social element is available rather than compulsory. Bring a book, take a window seat and nobody will mind in the slightest.
Passenger demographics described here come from our own ridership on the Cape Town–Port Elizabeth corridor and reflect our network rather than South African backpacker travel as a whole. The suitability notes for families, older travelers and travelers with limited mobility are general guidance; individual circumstances vary considerably, so contact our customer service team before booking if you have specific requirements. Customer quotes are reproduced verbatim from our own published reviews, including non-standard spellings of our brand name, and do not carry review dates in our current records; dates should be added before publication.
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